Gisela Dulko says she had an incredible partnership with Flavia Pennetta – Tennis News
Former world number one in women’s doubles, Gisela Dulko of Argentina, has acknowledged that her partner, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, had a big impact on her career.
The Argentinean national, who retired from professional tennis recently, also stated that the best thing she earned from the sport is her friendship with Pennetta. The 27-year-old added that she and Pennetta were not just on the court friends, as they enjoyed
everything together off the court as well.
Dulko said in a recent interview, "Flavia had a big impact on my career without a doubt - and the best thing I will take from my time with her is our friendship. We are friends off the court and to have won so many things together has been incredible for
us. We enjoyed it even more.
The Argentinean player and Pennetta joined forces in 2010, having an incredible season that boasted a total of seven titles. They captured winning trophy at just their second tournament together.
Their good run continued as they grabbed three more crowns within a span of one month, winning Sony Ericsson Open, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Dulko and Pennetta’s supreme showing continued in the second half of 2010, as they went on to win SkiStar Swedish Open and Rogers Cup, capping their incredible season by winning the WTA Championships.
The Argentinean player added, “In 2010 we decided to play together and that turned out to be better than we ever could have imagined - that was an incredible year where we won seven tournaments, including the Masters and then, soon after, the Australian
Open.”
Dulko and Pennetta started 2011 exactly from where they had stopped in the previous year, beating Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko to clinch the Australian Open title. The Argentinean-Italian tandem became number one in the world with that performance.
The 5ft 7in tall, Dulko, also shared that it was an incredible experience and being number one in the world with her best friend was unforgettable.
Dulko took retirement, as she was unable to concentrate on tennis due to her personal commitments. Pennetta will play with Russian star, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in 2013.
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